Episode Report Card Dan Kwa: A | 143 USERS: B- YOU GRADE IT The Second Time Is Always the Sweetest Time (For Rammin')
By Dan Kwa | Season 1 | Episode 2 | Aired on 2004.09.29
Fight! Fight! Fake TV-style fight, where people land expertly Foleyed punches! The scruffy cigarette smoker is duking it out with Sayid. After a couple of good wallops, they end up rolling around on the ground before Jack and Mercutio break it up. It's revealed that Sawyer, the scruffy dude, accused Sayid of crashing the plane, and then the claws came out! Rowr! Sawyer explains that he'd been watching Sayid throughout the flight, and that he sat in the last row of business class with his hands folded under a blanket, next to someone who "didn't make it." What I find annoying about this scene is that it's too easy; never at any point does a smart TV watcher actually think that Sayid was responsible for crashing the plane. We know, for instance, that the lovable liberals who tend to make TV would feel bad about themselves if they made a show's one Arab character a terrorist. And I have no problem, in general, with this, even when as a result shows present pretty blonde terrorists, but I do resent a show as ostensibly smart as Lost playing clumsily around with racial profiling. The argument is halted by a suddenly-authoritative Kate Beckinsale, who shouts, "Stop!" Because the script says this was enough to make them stop fighting, they do.
"We found the transceiver," Kate says, "but it's not working. Can anybody help?" Surprise, Sayid can. And surprise, Sawyer mouths off again. He's tiresome already. Hurley says, "We're all in this together, man, let's treat each other with a little respect." Sawyer considers his point for a moment and then thoughtfully rebuts, "Aw, shut up, lardo." Sawyer's virulent racism wasn't enough to spur Jack into action, but his making fun of the fatty is, so Jack steps up and tells Sawyer to give it a break. "Whatever you say, Doc," Sawyer sneers. "You're the hero." Jack looks hurt. My opinion of Sawyer instantly does a 180! He thinks what we're all saying! Boone, God's Friggin' Gift to Humanity asks the relevant question, considering the group just found the cockpit: "Any survivors?" Charlie and Kate look at each other, and Jack sort-of-lies, "No." Sayid says he needs a little time to fix the radio, and wanders off; Jack's old seatmate tells him that the guy with the shrapnel in his belly needs some attention.